For the first time that evening, a warm sensation washed over Jill at the supportive words and offers to help. She looked up at Evan and his two clones, her eyes teary again, but an ever so slight beginning of a smile forming on her features. A smile that only grew when Eddie sat down next to her and proclaimed his support as well. At that moment she felt like she mattered. That she was among friends. She felt safe.

Jill wiped her eyes once more in her already moist sleeve and started to slowly get back on her feet. She felt the need to apologize for her outburst and give both teenagers a big hug - even Evan's clones - but the shock at Eddie's quick and sudden acrobatics over Igneous' arrival put a momentary halt to that plan.

"No! Eddie!" Jill blurted out almost frantically while still stabilizing herself against the wall, having not yet gotten back on her feet in full. "He's a friend, relax! He's a friend, Evan and I know him." She stared expectantly at the black-and-white symbiote, now crouched perpendicular on the building wall, trying to gauge whether the dark warrior was easing up on his aggressive stance. A few seconds later she breathed hard, realizing that she had been holding her breath at the sudden tension.

She returned the now not-so-large Igneous' greeting with a slightly confused nod of her own, and listened intently at his report about Conduit. When he had finished she was dumbfounded, her eyes looking around aimlessly for a moment before returning to the gargoyle who, even in his currently reduced size, still was an impressive creature to behold."But... where did.."again a dumbfounded look found it's way onto her face as she seemed lost for words. "You angered her?"she asked surprisedly; "Well.. what the hell did she mean by that? She wants me to go to Lipman on my own? What if something had happened to me in there! I said I would bring him outside if I couldn't get him to talk, so that she could come and help, and then she just bails!? How could.. how can... I.." She almost shouted the words in rapid succession, frustratedly looking around and away from her companions as if talking more to herself than them.

Suddenly, at the end of her outburst, she stops to stare at Evan, Eddie and Igneous, her expression and posture signaling total defeat. "I.. I can't deal with this anymore. I need to get out of here. Can we.. can we just go please?"Not waiting for replies, she turns and trudges down the alley, her arms crossed over her stomach as if trying to hug herself.

The Warrior looked bored, but his eyes darted to either end of the alley in case some hanger-on from the concert seemed to want to start any trouble.

The Lover, however, was infinitely concerned with the wounded feelings of teenage girls, and hurried up after and overtook Jill, "Hey, Jill. We aren't going anywhere. We have your back - with Lipman, Conduit, anyone. We're a Team, chicka. With a capital T." Reaching out, he nudged her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes as he finished his statement.

Jill's pain at the realisation that her friend had abandoned her was plain for all to see, even arranged as she was with her back to them: her hunched posture, her arms about her waist -- it all betrayed her surprise and her anger, and the march into the shadows of the alleyway served to consolidate the emotion whirlwind of that very night, burrowing her deeper into her darkening mood.

The clouds overhead, subtle at first, seemed to bunch together, as though in anticipation of the dying good vibe brought on by the enthralling concert of mere minutes before. Shades of grey corrupted white, and droplets began to fall, crashing onto the floor, the garbage lids, and the fire-escapes that occupied the enclosed space between the hotel and its neighbour. The wetness sped up slowly, until the group of teenagers were bathed in a steady sea of aqua, made bitter by the pollution of the city and the ebbing of nature's inherent influence.

And then Jill slowed, followed by Evan. Each's change of pace was independant of one another: Jill's grip about her waist tightened, and Evan's hand rose subconsciously to his brow, nestling there beneath his bangs as Toxin and Igneous looked between them, confused. The Warrior and the Lover took to their leader's side, but no sooner had they taken three steps did they begin to slow too, and then, without warning, vanish entirely.

A moment of silence settled upon the group. Toxin touched his hand to Jill's elbow, asking without words whether she was alright; she nodded that she was, the dull ache that had spread through her stomach now having lessened to an uncomfortable ache. She looked towards Evan, who was busy clapping his hands together, and looking stupified at the lack of Duplicates that were birthed by the effort.

Toxin opened his mouth to speak, to remark on the strange occurance, but the words were stolen from his throat upon catching sight of Igneous, whose wings were expanding in agitation, his dark eyes settled upon something over the Symbiote's shoulder. A mere second after the gargoyle began to stiffen did Toxin's spine began to quiver, as an all too familiar sensation rocketted upon his body, alerting him to the approach of something dangerous.

He turned in time to see the arrival of six individuals, each one clothed in dark attire, and each one openly carrying a weapon. Toxin, the closest to the approaching group, took an involuntary step backwards, his gaze falling upon the suppressors that each weapon was equipped with. Behind him he felt Jill stiffen, and without looking the Web-Slinger knew who was at their head.

"There you are," Patrick Lipman said, his voice deceptively soothing and friendly, his gaze locked upon the young woman. "It's almost fourty minutes since the concert ended; I didn't think you were going to show up." He smiled brightly, gesturing with his sub-machine gun as he spoke in a calm, playful manner. To his either side, the other men -- their faces covered by black ski-masks -- readied their weapons, their stances readied, their gazes trading between the various occupants of the alleyway.

"And you brought some friends," Lipman continued, taking a single step forwards. He thrust the muzzle of his gun towards Toxin and Igneous, and shook his head. "Bit rude of you, really, but I'll accept him as a way of apology." He refered this time to Evan, to whom he flashed a radiant -- and deeply unsettling -- smile. "Two of you is a lot better than one, after all."

--------------------------------------------------

Editor's Notes:Okay folks, we're returning to Page/Panel format. Some notes for you all before I supply the order, however: firstly, both Evan and Jill are feeling strange, and neither of them can use their powers. The feeling became stronger when Lipman appeared, and common sense would suggest that, therefore, he's the cause of it. Toxin and Igneous feel fine, and can function as normal.

With regards to your opponents: three are sporting submachine guns, and three are carrying heavy pistols. As previously mentioned, all are suppressed. Should you take the time to study the men properly, then you'd note that they looked to be experienced, or maybe they're just unwisely confident. You can't yet tell.

Havoc: I've not posted for you for the reasons we discussed. But you can assume that, whilst you didn't see the men enter the alleyway, you would be able to hear any sort of conflict going on inside, and thus can react to it -- assume that it'll take a Panel to get to the location of the fight; with the renewal of the Page, you can then begin taking part in the fight proper, should you so wish.

Toxin relaxed when jill explained that Igneus was freindly he pressed of with his and and flip off onto his feet again. He looked Igneus over and simply shrugged. "More things in heaven and earth i guess." He was about to followthe others when he got the tell tale feeling flicker down his spine. He spun to face the crowd of armed men and simply utter "F&^K" His attention was then drawn to Evan adn Jill who seemed to be having trouble with there powers. Toxin then turned again to the large gargoyle. "I dont know what youre name is but it looks like its just you and me. So lets Rock!" He lauched two black weblines to either side of Lipman Then yanked and launched towards him screaming "Boot to the head!"

((OOC: 1 stones into web sling and 1 from the genral pool making 2 to properll Toxin forwards. then 4 stones into close combat to kick him in the head leaving 7/12 stones. I apolagise if anything is wrong this is my second bottle of cider))

Igneous was surprised when the group emerged from the shadows - 6 blatantly armed men with clearly illegal guns did not typically wander the streets. Whoever this Lipman was, he was clearly far more than Conduit had expected. He was trying to decide what course of action to follow when the young man suddenly leapt forward inside his strange black suit, taking the fight to the men.

"These are my friends. You will not harm them. Toxin, keep Lipman busy. I will deal with the rest of this trash."

Igneous felt a deep, primal anger inside himself, and he embraced it, and released it, becoming one with the mountains and the volcanoes, and growling deep in his throat. As he did, he rapidly grew, filling the alleyway with his greatly enlarged form with sound of an avalanche rushing down a mountain side. He spread his wings wide, placing himself between the thugs and Evan and Jill. Then, as larger and larger pieces of stone began to rapidly swirl around his hands, he dropped in to a crouch as he lashed out at two of the thugs, his eyes an intense glowing orange. "I am Stone, called Igneous, and I will not be moved."

(OOC: 1 red stone in to Growth to grow to as large as I comfortably can in the alleyway, up to 20' tall if possible. That increases my strength by 2 and my durability by one (1 stone of strength for using growth, and then 1 stone of str and durability for the first size increment). Then allocate 8 stones to Close Combat, splitting 4 to each of the closest two opponents, unless any of them are obviously going after Jill or Evan to make themselves targets). I'm assuming that since we're in an alleyway, the ground is concrete or asphalt, and thus counts as stone. If not, adjust as needed. Igneous is doing all he can to keep his body between Jill and Evan and the guns, especially his wings.

The speed with which Toxin was propelled across the length of the alleyway was astounding, and Lipman and his henchmen were left wide-eyed, unable to squeeze off a single shot before the Symbiote collided feet-first with the man at the fore. Lipman's muffled shout of pain was cut short as the force of the blow carried him backwards several feet, knocking him onto his butt as Toxin sailed overhead, landing cat-like on the other side of the entourage, a smile etched onto his face, despite the severity of the situation.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the collision, Igneous's form had begun to grow, first to his normal size, and then beyond. He jettisoned up and out, passing first twelve feet, and then sixteen, and then twenty. The thugs followed him with their gazes, their mouths dropping open as their guns lowered, the shock robbing them of the ability to react to what was happening before them, or to the fact that their leader had just been given a vigorous new headache.

Igneous felt the building's begin to rub against his shoulders, and his wings creaked audibly as he struggled to flex them -- an instinctive reflex that he found he could no longer accomodate in such cramped quarters. But thankfully his sheer bulk helped to shield his companions from both sight and danger, so the momentary discomfort, he decided, was worth it. He crouched down low, lifted an arm, he swiped at one of the closest remaining thugs, whose reverie was abolished at the sight of a tree-trunk sized roll of stone coming straight for him. The man lifted his weapon to fire, but then vanished from sight momentarily behind the sheet of rock...

...and then reappeared as he hurtled out of the alleyway, over Lipman, and into the bus shelter on the opposite side of the street. The glass of the shelter shattered beneath his weight and scattered upon the side-walk; the man slumped down amidst the shards, his head lulling to one side as unconsciousness claimed him.

The sudden departure of one of their number was enough to spur the remaining thugs into action. One opened fire with his sidearm, its bullets pounding into Igneous' chest and chipping away bits and pieces of rubble, causing them to shower down to the floor. But the giant remained where he was, otherwise unhindered; but then his two fellows joined in the assault, opening fire with their submachine guns and spraying the gargoyle's face with automatic fire. Though he didn't move from his placement in the alleyway, Igneous felt the sheer force of the hail splinter and crack his visage, forcing him to raise a hand to shield himself from the worst of the damage.

Moving to help Lipman up, the remaining adversary snarled as he caught sight of Toxin, upon whom he turned his heavy pistol. He squeezed off a quick succession of shots at the Web-Slinger who, through virtue of his limited foresight, twisted just in time to weave in and out of the bullets. One came dangerously close to clipping him -- it was another reminder of the perils of combat, and his need to focus on those around him.

On his feet, Lipman snatched up a radio from the depths of his jacket, and snarled into it, "We've got a heavy-hitter. Bring out the reassurance packet." He massaged his jaw with his hand, his brow furrowing as he turned his burning gaze down the alleyway towards the prizes he was being denied.

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Editor's Notes:No worries Haraphen -- the only error I could find was that Web-Slinging doesn't get the Webshooter Bonus Stones (that's Ranged Combat); instead of having you fail the manoevure, however, I've assumed that you'd spend 2 Stones from your Energy Reserve rather than 1, thus knocking your current Red Stone inventory down to 6/12. On the plus side, however, your attack bypassed Lipman's only applicable Defence (kevlar... he's a cautious man), causing him damage. He's not out of the fight yet, though.

Igneous -- since you used Growth, you couldn't perform two separate attacks against the thugs, as that would total your Actions for this turn at three, rather than the maximum allowance of two. So, instead, I kept your Close Combat Action at 8 Stones and had you aim at one foe... ouch for the bad guy. That's one of five down.

Of the other bad guys, two of them opened fire on Igneous with their submachine guys, battering his stone form with a cascade of autofire. Durable as he might be, the bullets were enough to chip at him, and the combined onslaught (5 Stones apiece) was enough to bypass Igneous's Toughness 4; the remaining 1 Stone on each attack isn't doubled, but they still reduce Igneous's Health from 7 to 5 (and his Energy Reserve maximum to 15). Of the other two thugs: one opened fire on Igneous, but his handgun wasn't as effective at bypassing the giant's durability... but it came damn close (offensive Stones equalled his Toughness, giving the equivalent of a very near miss, or a contact touch); the other went to help up Lipman, and then fired upon Toxin with his pistol. Thanks to his Limited Prescience, Toxin was able to move 1 Stone from his Close Combat pool, raising his effective Defence up to 4 when combined with Reflexive Dodge (and thus narrowly avoided being hurt). His attack against Lipman is otherwise unchanged.

Lipman, on his turn (which happens after the thugs, I've decided, thanks to Toxin's ceremonial Boot To The Head), has busied himself with the task of calling in backup.

That's about it. Any questions, let me know. Since this is half-way through the current Page, no-one yet gets to Regenerate.

Harley's head was still pleasently swimming in a comfortable alcoholic and nicotine daze and he was comfortably chilled out when he was aware of grunts and the sounds of impacts from across the street.

One eyelid cracked open and scanned the immediate vicinity visible from the rear of the band vans partially closed doors. Nothing. Slowly, the other eye opened up.

Yawning expansively, he used his cigarette wielding palm to push back his cap and with a muffled 'oooh' sat forwards, leaning around the door. More bugger all. He sighed heavily and began to listen. Things seemed to have gone quiet, and he was on the verge of simply returning to his stupour when a man rocketed out of the alleyway, several feet above the air and smashed into a bus shelter, smashing it under the weight of his impact.

A flying man. For a moment he just stared as his mind paused and did a mental 'riiiiiight'. He shook himself out of it quickly, as the sound dull impacts on stone reached his ears. Was someone shooting something or someone in that alley? His mind raced. No mundane human force shy of an explosion or massive impact could propel a man through the air that way, which left supernatural means. Could there be another 'talented' individual in the alley. Just because he had never met one didn't mean there couldn't be one, and certainly he knew others existed.

His booted feet smashed the van doors open as he disgarded his half smoked cigarette, downed his beer and began to run towards the alleyway, his senses keen for any signs of trouble. As he ran, he pushed outwards, feeling the familiar tingle as the forcefield projected gently around him. He winced slightly as a shooting pain stabbed through his temples, but ignored it and pushed on, knowing the pain would recede to a dull ache. If there really was another supernatural in the alley, he couldn't afford to take chances. He didn't stop to check on the man slumped in the wreckage of the bus shelter, figuring he'd have a better chance if the whole disturbance was ended quickly.

What he found when he entered the alley he couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams. A stone giant was dominating the alleyway as a group of men fired on his with suppressed weapons. Crouched low behind them was something, save for its short stature could have been Venom himself.

Momentarily, he was unsure which side was the aggressor and which side defending themselves until he saw the people futher down the alleyway. He didn't know their names, but he recognised them from the gig, and that told him all he needed to know.

Inwardly, his mind clicked. Theatricality was everything and he took a stance at the top of the alley:"Don't you boys know it's bad manners to go killing fans when they've paid good money for the show?"
He made no attempt to move or avoid anything that might come his way, trusting his forcefield to hold and hoping they would back down. His hands came together to cup around his mouth and a light flared as he lit a new cigarette and drew deeply on it before returning the lighter back to his pocket, staring down at the men in the alleyway.

--------------------------------------------
OOC:
Powers: I've put 4 stones into Force Field, which doubles and adds to his defence, giving him a total of 8 defence as he stands at the top of the alley. 5 Energy stones remaining, 3 health and will regen 6 red stones per panel, assuming no health loss.

For everyone else: Just a little roleplaying extra note. In addition to the description of Harley that was posted earlier, just another note that might be worth mentioning for those who are going to see him. He's around 6'5" and heavily built on the wide shoulders, narrow waist sort of frame.

Jill managed to conjure forth a subtle smile when one of the Evans notched her chin up and spoke the supportive and comforting words. She didn't feel like smiling, but the sentiment was heartwarming enough that her mouth acted on its own accord. She felt less alone as she walked down the dark and rainy alley with Eddie, Evan and Igneous at her back.

But that comfort was short lived, however, when her blood froze to ice in her veins at the sight of the alluring man ahead of her, this time surrounded by a pack of less-than-friendly looking gentlemen. Lipman's voice sent another freezing chill up her spine and made her skin crawl. His words were like daggers, cutting into her soul and leaving another score of scars born of betrayal.

She felt the animal within clawing at her insides, desperate to be set loose. But something was holding her back. Bewildered thoughts raced through her mind. Her powers were relatively new, and she was not sure if she had yet come to fully understand how they worked. A sensation of added fear only made the situation increasingly worse at the assumption that her supernatural ability might have only been a temporary thing, and that now when she needed it the most, it, too, had abandoned her. Her fingers instinctively clawed at her blouse over the agitated beast within. The panther was angry, furious, raging. The girl was frightened, vulnerable and panicked.

The unbearable tenseness was broken when a black and white shadow whistled through the air, colliding squarely with Lipman's jaw too fast for anyone to react. The sight of Patrick's smug smile disappearing underneath Toxin's boot was invigorating. She looked at Evan, sorely confused at his apparent loss of powers as well. The sight of his two clones dissipating into thin air, and not re-appearing at has frantic clapping, gave her immediate worries an awkward pause at the realization that she was not the only one experiencing the numbness from lack of super powers.

"I can't... my powers won't..."she stuttered at Evan, but was cut short when the walls behind her seemingly started to move and grind against each other. She almost forgot about Lipman and his thugs when she turned to see the mighty Igneous growing to a mountain-like size. When his pillar legs came crushing down in front of her and Evan, she instinctively ducked and scampered backwards. Then she heard the thundering blasts of gunfire pelting into the granite protector in front of them. She immediately thrust herself up against Igneous' enormous back, realizing then that he was using himself to shield Evan and her from harm.

Jill felt helpless and useless as both Toxin and Igneous were putting their lives on the line for her and Legion. Again she struggled to relax her mind and reach out to the panther within, hoping that it could grab hold and be free. At the same time she pondered silently Lipman's words earlier; ' "I'll accept him as an apology. Two of you is better than one." -- what did he mean by that? '

Then, in the middle of the ongoing chaos, she noticed the enigmatic lead singer walking into the scene, a cigarette snugged in between his lips and an almost overly confident and uncaring look. She didn't know what to think of it all, much less what to say. Evan kept enough of his cool to warn the man of the severity of the situation. How Havoc could keep so calm and upfront when faced with the spectacle at hand was perplexing.

Evan panicked, his thoughts racing - what, or who, could possibly have made his clones disappear so completely? But before he could figure it out, everything about the situation changed - Toxin vaulted through the air, propelled by alien power as he drove his foot into the man Jill had been talking to earlier's smug face. And Igneous....

Grew. Past normal size, until he dominated the entire alleyway, obscuring Evan's vision of what was going on behind him. The now-giant gargoyle's voice reverberated through the very concrete of the ground beneath Evan's feet, " "I am Stone, called Igneous, and I will not be moved."

But that wasn't the only surprising development, Evan whirled to face the back alleyway as a familiar voice filled the space left by a brief calm in the cacophony of the gunfire, ""Don't you boys know it's bad manners to go killing fans when they've paid good money for the show?" The lead singer of the band they had just seen, the name of which panic had driven from his mind, stood behind the words, challenging Lipman and his cronies, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

The poor guy was way out of his league. Evan didn't need clones to get him out of here, "No! Hey, man! Havoc! Get out of here!" Evan waved him away, sliding to one side to keep as much of Igneous as possible between him and the guns - he couldn't dodge bullets, like Eddie, or ignore them, like the gargoyle, after all.

Toxin jumped and spun to avoid the last of the bullet storm when he finally landed. Glared at the gun man and was about to comment when he saw Igneuses new stature. He was speechles at the sight of the colosel gargoyle. He mutered a simple "well dam.n" It was lipman talking into the radio that snapped Toxin's attention back at the two men before him. before either could fire on him again he jumped to the side launching two tendrils of black webbing at the mens firearms. the tucked into a roll at the end of his leap.

((OOC: 10/12 energy. ok 4 stones for long range attack with an extra 4 from my webslingers general pool and split it between both lipman and the guy beside him to web up there guns. and 2 stones from acrobatics into my defence which, with Reflexive Dodge, gives me a Defence of 5. 4/12 energy))

(OOC: I assume we all regenerated, since it's back to the top of the cycle?)

Igneous snarled a bit at the thugs as their bullets chipped away at his hide. But at the same time, he was gratified. Finally, his size and alien nature were valuable to someone. His strangeness was an asset here, in this arena. The bullets hurt, but even now he could feel the power of Stone reaching up through the ground and flowing through him - soon he would be as good as new.

He focused on one of the thugs that Toxin had not engaged, ripping a piece of earth from thin air, and hurling it towards the man who threatened his friends. At his enormous size, the stone was a hunk of granite, jagged on the edges, weighing probably 100 pounds.

Using his momentum from the throw, he turned and lashed out at another of the thugs, as well as the man responsible for all of this - the one that threatened Jill, and now Evan as well.

As he swung, two foot long stalagtites sprung from his fists, jutting like earthen spears towards those who dared attack them.

----------------------------OOC:

Mastery of Stone, Force Blast 3 RS attacking a thug. We never actually defined the Blast effect - perhaps knockdown?
Close Combat + Str + Mastery of Stone to attack Lipman and another thug, total of 9 RS, 6 to Lipman, 3 to the thug.

White Stones: 5/7 (Will regen on at the end of the next panel)
Red Stones: 3/15 (Regen'ed to new max of 15, then spent 12)

Answering the flurry of gunshots against their stone guardian, both Evan and Jill rushed into the cover offered by the gargoyle's colossal legs. They weren't the direct target of the attacks, but their movement to cover was reflexive and, given the circumstances, reassuring nonetheless. Stone shards and dust trickled down atop their heads from above as the last of the gunfire collided with Igneous' visage, and Evan caught sight of Final Bastion's singer at the alleyway's mouth, drawn in most likely by the journey of the flying thug.

The arrival of the singer was easily ignored, however, as the Symbiote birthed two strings of webbing which raced towards Lipman and his attendant with startling speed. The first batch of webbing collided with Lipman's weapon, sealing the muzzle shut with a thick wad of black; the thug, however, was too quick, and he darted to one side as the webbing whistled past him, splattering against the alleyway wall to his rear. The thug sneered beneath his ski-mask, and lifted his weapon, ready to fire.

But then Igneous was moving, his anger born from his desire to help his friends. The thug at Lipman's side half-turned towards his fellows with wide eyes, his sneer vanished entirely, as a huge, heavy rock barrelled into his companion's chest, sending him backwards onto his arse, sprawling by the impact, his ribs most likely saved by the rock's glancing blow. A second volley of rock followed, encasing Igneous' fists, hunting for Lipman and Toxin's assailant: the former, too occupied with the muck on his gun, was struck, and he fell backwards, unconscious instantly; the latter leapt backwards, more spry on his feet than any of his fellows. He fell back a short ways, taking himself out of Igneous' reach, and then open fired upon the gargoyle's retreating arms. The other thugs followed suit, their bullets cutting further dents into Stone's face; the autofire of the remaining submachine gun gave chorus to the effect, and again Igneous felt the force of the hail drive deep cracks into his body.

As a new barrage of rock and stone rained down upon them, Jill and Evan looked between them, both sharing the same realisation as the ache that had assailed their minds began to vanish: whatever effect had hindered their bodies before was gone now.

"We're in position," crackled Lipman's radio. Toxin looked down towards the device still clutched in the man's hand; and then he felt the shiver crash up and down his spine. Half-turning, he looked towards the roof of the building opposite the alleyway, and his mouth dropped open.

Lipman's backup came to a halt upon the edge of the building, and shouldered a large, cylinder-shaped weapon. Peering down the scope, he turned the weapon towards the gargoyle, and primed the rocket.

The time for subtlety was over.

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Editor's Notes:Okay, summary-time!

Toxin's attacks against Lipman was successful, thus rendering the submachine gun useless, but not against the other thug, whose Defence was higher than Toxin's attack.

Igneous' attack against the first thug was successful for 1 Stone of Damage; his attack against Lipman was successful, but rather than remove his Health Stones I've chosen to knock him out for a number of Panels. His attack against the thug nearest to Toxin missed, however.

In retaliation for the attack, the thugs have all opened fire on the biggest threat -- the gargoyle -- and two of them equal his Toughness, hitting but dealing no damage. The final submachine gun-wielding thug does hit, however, and deals another Stone of damage, lowering Igneous' Health to 4 and his Energy Reserve to 12.

Regarding the new thug: he's positioned on the roof of the opposing building, and he's carrying a rocket launcher (resourceful bunch, aren't they?). Anyone with Defence (that is, everyone bar Igneous) can spot the guy, but only Toxin can get to him in time (using Web-Slinging). Havoc might be able to reach the guy with telekinesis, but it'll be a stretch.

One final note: Evan and Jill, you both feel the aches begin to leave you, and -- if you try again -- you'll find that your powers are accessable once more.

Havoc looked at the kid who waved frantically at him from the alley, trying to warn him away. The kid had guts and he could definately respect that. Still, it wasn't hard to see what he was being warned off from and with the automatic weapons, frightened kids and gigantic stone creature tearing up the alley, it was getting to be a decidedly unhealthy place to be for your average joe.

He heard the radio crackle to life and the report "In position" made it through to his ears. The young Venom look-a-like turned and the creatures horror was evident in every line of his body.

Harley followed his gaze and saw the thug on the roof priming the rocket launcher. They were almost ready to fire on the stone monster! Havoc was torn for a second, but the kids obviously cared about the creatures safety and it appeared to be actively protecting them:"Ah the hell with it. You only live once." He muttered and began to tap his internal resources:"This is going to hurt."

Time seemed to slow to Harley as he organised his mind, disciplining himself to ensure that his power had no unexpected side effects, and began to visualise the rocket launcher. His eyes flashed open, fixed on the tube above the alleyway and he threw his hands and telekinesis forward, seeking to rip the tube away from the man who would do these innocents harm. More and more power was poured into his reach, he could not afford to fail and as he truly began to stretch the pain came on.

Waves of agony rocked his body and he let forth a scream of pain and rage, but refused to let his eyes wander. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he fought to maintain the effort to save the stone creature, but he knew in doing so he was leaving himself exposed.

A small nagging fear of the pain that was to come presented itself, and he quashed it quickly, knowing such thoughts could finish a man before he had begun. The pain was becoming distracting as he fought to keep his mind on task, and looked for the remainder of his personal reserves. There!

He felt the last reach of his power waiting for him, empowering him as he absorbed, channelled and focused it, partially recharging the force field around him, trusting in it to keep him safe against the hail of gunfire, or worse case scenario, the rocket, that may come hurtling at him.

The pain was becoming almost unbearable now, and the tears flowed quickly in silver streams down the tattoed mascara on his face, and he ground his teeth with the effort of keeping the pain in check. Though the scream had faded, the low and constant growling belayed the pain that still coursed his body and how close to the surface it really was.

---------------------------------------
OOC: Just a quick one, but as I mentioned in my star wars post, been working the job from hell Getting back up to speed as fast as I can so hopefully be back to normal posts soon

Ok mechanics time! : 6 stones into Telekinesis to rip the rocket laucher off the guy on the roof, and three into partially maintaining his force field.

It quickly became obvious to Jill that the lead singer, Havoc, had not joined in on the spectacle by dumb bravery or stupidity alone. He was deeply focused on what looked like the telltale signs of super powers. What, exactly, he was so visibly struggling with, the hurdling teenager was unsure of.

All of Jill's features twitched as a new barrage of gunfire relentlessly assaulted her and Evan's stone protector. The bits and pieces of shattering granite dancing around their feet, she looked at Evan with a painful expression of worry and guilt, clearly not sitting well with her that their friends were taking such a beating. A guilt that only grew at the realization that this entire mess was her doing. She was the one who had dragged them all - Igneous, Evan, Eddie and now Havoc - into this dark and rainy alley of death. The thought of what Lipman would have done to her if she had been alone made the hairs in her neck stand on edge.

She wanted to grab hold of Evan's sleeve and run to the large performer, dragging them both out of the alley and away from the mayhem. But she knew that she had neither the size nor the courage to do so. Leaving behind Toxin and Igneous would be but another flaw in a poorly and desperate thought up plan. Instead she clenched her teeth and crouched down lower behind the mighty gargoyle, hoping and praying to herself that he and Toxin would be able to endure the punishment originally meant for her.

As she ducked helplessly behind Igneous, the constant barrage of gunfire suddenly sparked a pained memory in her mind. The incessant and invasive loudness of the weapons was identical to the noise that had awoken her on the night of her first transformation. The remembrance of the accident, and Darren's demise, ignited the same spark of rage that had so dominated her every fiber on that fateful evening.

Without even thinking or calling for it, the painless and dream-like sensation of sharp claws shredding through her skin marked the birth of what she had longed for all night -- and, indeed, her whole life. Ignoring the stares of those of her companions who were not too busy to notice, Jill began to hastily shed the urban clothing she had worn on top of her jumpsuit, to ensure that it would not be torn during the shift to animal form.

Whatever had chained the tempered beast inside was now gone, and the furious black panther began to take its place with the young girl. Lipman and his cronies would have to do better than haphazard gun-blazing to frighten off the enraged feline that was forming from Jill's delicate features.

Evan felt whatever it was that blocked the duplicates like a pressure inside his mind, right up until the moment it disappeared, and seized on the opportunity. Clap once, twice, and charge while they were distracted. The Warrior and the Hunter manifested from his hands, and the two duplicates dashed into the fray, their instincts propelling them towards the nearest gunman and danger, even as Evan darted to the aid of the lead singer, to try to get him to safety. They were all three young, athletic, and light on their feet - prepared to jink, juke, or dive if someone leveled a gun at them.

(Actions are: Duplicate Self, and 1 stone of speed each for Evan, the Hunter, and the Warrior. All three will use 3 stones of Acrobatics for Defense. All three will be at 8/12 RS, 4/4 WS)

Toxin had had enough of these guy's. He didnt know Igneus he didnt owe the giant gargoyle anything. He was protecting Evan and Jill but more importantly. Lipman and the rest of these thugs thugs had just pissed Toxin off. He landed two webline's to eaither side fo the alley and hop bakwards quickly. The tension pulled at his arms on the edge fo hurting when phisics took over. He was ripped forward by the elasticated web flying straight at the gumen on the roof. He flew slighlty off target his body curled up so he could easily get over the lip of the roof. Then as he came inline with the thug he lashed one arm out in a staight attempting to clothline the guy.

((OOC: 8/12 energy. ok 3 stones into websling and 3 stones from into close combat. relying on just my reflex for defense: 3. 2/12 energy))

Igneous growled angrily as the bullets continued to rip in to him, but the thugs were falling one by one, leaving less of them to worry about. And the power of Stone continued to flow in to him, gradually restoring his injuries. So he was concerned, but not afraid.

But then he saw the man on the roof, with what was presumably some sort of exceptionally dangerous weaponry. Lipman was down, thugs were sprawled, and Toxin was leaping about. His job was to make sure Evan and Jill were safe.

He swung his fist casually at one of the few remaining gun thugs, almost more of a distraction. Then he folded himself up and tried to wrap his body and wings around the two teens in his charge.

----------------------------OOC:

Acc. Heal kicks in, taking him back up to 5/7 White,and regening 6 red, for a total of 9.

Close Combat + Str to attack the best armed thug and defend, 7 stones total, 2 in to attack, 5 in defense.

The light on the rocket launcher flashed red, flickering in quick succession as the man on the roof peered down its sight, his smirk almost visible despite the ski-mask that marred his features. His legs bowed as he steadied himself, and his fingers flexed as he prepared for the kick of the weapon's recoil. And then he pulled the trigger; the weapon leapt, the rocket spewed forth, and the man gutted a laugh in triumph.

But the rocket only sailed a meter towards its target before it jerked upwards, kicked from its path by some invisible force. The thug's mouth dropped, and his eyes widened as he watched, dumpfounded, as the rocket turned its nose skyward, and thundered towards the heavens. It sang in perfect key as it climbed higher and higher, past the ceiling line of the nearest buildings, and then exploded in a hail of crimson and angry yellow. For a mere moment, the sky was stolen by a bright, illuminating flash, no doubt stealing the attentions of any late-night travellers for entire city blocks.

A sudden flash of black awoke the rocket launchers owner from his awe-inspired daze, and he levelled his view just in time to be choked and propelled backwards by Toxin's clothesline. He gasped audibly and the rocket launcher was sent tumbling across the rooftop, coming to a rest against the rooftop's thigh-high stone wall. He writhed as he rolled into his stomach, and clasped at his throat -- the blow had struck his windpipe, dazing and causing him to choke. He spluttered for a moment longer, and then staggered to his feet, glaring at the Web-Slinger as he perched effortlessly upon the edge of the rooftop, staring back at the thug with an unrecognisable expression.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the alleyway, the sudden removal of the inhibiting air that had suppressed the mind of the beast in Jill's body caused her a fresh wave of need and desire. She trembled as she gave into it, her body beginning the rapid process of change, transforming her into her other half, the one known as Pantherine. Her clothing, now forgotten, lay with casual abandon about her feet, invisible to the far-reaching senses of the newly birthed panther. The feline flexed her pads, her claws sheathing and unsheathing deftly, and inhailed deeply the air -- rancid as it was to her with its imperfection, it reaffirmed in her mind the fact that her senses had increased in potency, and that was more than enough.

A sharp burst of speed to her one side caused Pantherine to turn, just in time to watch Legion throw himself from cover and race for the enemy, his bull-rush flanked by two of his Duplicates. Although he was unarmed, the remaining thugs seemed disturbed by the clones, and one began backing out of the alleyway, his weapon raised as he gasped, "S&%#! They can use their powers! Grab him and let's go!" Complying with the gunman's demands, his companion rushed to take up the form of Lipman, but his efforts were stalled by the suddenly appearance of Igneous' enormous hand, which flashed past his face, brushing past his nose and causing him to cry out in shock and surprise.

"Forget him!" the thug yelled, stepping over the group's leader as he started down the street. The thugs who retained control of their consciousness glanced back at Igneous, at the charging Duplicates, at the over-sized panther glaring at them from the gargoyle's shadows, and then beat a hasty retreat, their weapons held tightly as they stumbled into the night, leaving Lipman and other of their companions at the mercy of the victorious heroes.

Upon the roof, the sole remaining thug half-turned towards the engagement below, and his enthusiasm had been drained visibly upon witnessing the departure of his fellows. His fists, which until then had been raised in preparation for combat, loosened, and then drooped, and his widening eyes grew wider as he slowly turned back to the Symbiote. He grunted an anxious laugh, and then raised his hands into the air in surrender.

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Editor's Notes:Okay, I know the above is short, but I wanted to get things moving again. We're now out of Panel/Page timing, so posting in order is no longer needed. Igneous' Health and Energy will replenish pretty much instantly thanks to Accelerated Healing Factor, and everyone else's Energy Reserve will return to normal.

And now the summary: with Legion and Pantherine recovering their powers, and both looking keen to make use of them, the remaining thugs seized upon common sense and took to the street, heading with all speed into the night and leaving behind Lipman, the unconscious thug in the bus shelter opposite, and the rocket man on the roof with Toxin.

With combat over, now would be a good time to get acquainted with Havoc, and might also be a good time to get some answers from the new 'sources' at your disposal. But also note that whilst the fight involved weapons with suppressors, it was far from silent, especially after the rocket launcher's round exploded in the sky -- whatever you're going to do, it's best that you do it quickly, just incase the LAPD are on their way.

I think that's it... any questions, let me know. Otherwise, I'd suggest some back and forth to get yourselves properly introduced, and maybe a few rounds of Q&A with your new guests.

The darkness of the alley gradually brightened in a colourless illumination to Jill's new eyes, and the sound of the raindrops plopping against the stonework became clearer. The watery pellets which had pelted her pale skin before were now barely noticeable, effortlessly deflected and absorbed by the sleek black fur that had coated her new features.

Although her mind was still burdened with the thoughts and worries of the evening's events, her emotions had calmed and the anxiety that had been eating at her insides felt like a distant thing now. A warm and comfortable wave washed over her at the ever-wonderful sensation of having assumed the form where she felt the most free, unhindered and fearless. But there was little time to revel in the pleasures of the change, for the commotion around her seemed far from over.

Pantherine's emerald eyes followed Evan and his clones as they sprang forward towards the beaten Lipman and the the remaining thugs that had been hastily abandoned by their supposed allies. She glanced upwards to briefly focus her attention on Toxin and the thug above, trusting and hoping that the symbiote had the situation under control. A few powerful leaps would have taken her to them, but there was a certain figure, lying maimed in the alley ahead, that had her attention more than anything else.

She strode slowly past the giant Igneous who had so selfishly guarded her life, endearingly brushing against his leg as she went by, her gaze locked upon Lipman the whole time. A boiling sensation started to build in her chest as she inanely padded towards the man who had been the cause of it all. Her human morale was in a heated conflict with the bestial rage that was stalking Patrick as a jaguar closing in on a gazelle. Every fiber of her physical body was tingling in anticipation of tearing the man apart for all the grief and sorrow he had become the embodiment of. But her mind was crying out to compose herself and contain the rage. Although Lipman was, at the moment, less worth than most forms of life, she detested the notion of bloodshed when he was clearly beaten and at their mercy.

The large panther stalked towards the downed Patrick in an almost fluid motion, her green eyes flaring with anger, her wet fur glistening with every step in the ambient lighting of the nighttime city. Her large and soft paws weighed down upon Lipman's thighs as the beast strode carelessly on top of him, lining her entire frame squarely above him, her face bent low and aligned directly with his.

Her whiskers trembled as she stared viciously into Patrick's face, her maw barely a few inches from his. Her mind felt like it was on fire due to the animalistic desire to strike, and the human compassion to show mercy. Her feline lips quaked as they slowly pulled back and bared a full set of sharp and imposing fangs, followed by a long and threatening hiss blanketing Lipman's face in a warm breath.

Eventually composing herself and stemming the overwhelming urge to pay Lipman back, Pantherine relaxes her stance and glances back at her companions, a pained expression on her feline features. She turns about and dismounts Patrick, deliberately placing a paw right on his crotch and leaning most of her weight onto it as she walks away.

The black cat strides off to one of the many shadows in the now quieting alley to let her senses calm and gain a bearing on the surroundings and its remaining occupants. Her green eyes meeting in turn with those of Evan, Igneous and Havoc.

Harley's eyes flickered with amusement as he stared down the alleyway, faint beads of sweat already vanishing into the cool night air the ony betraying sign of his exertions. The pain was fading fast, and he was grateful for it, but he had expected to be fighting longer than he had been.

The panic striken cries of the thugs in the alleyway as the young girl had morphed into a panther had been pure music to his ears, and the laugh had come naturally to his lips, spilling over, his amusement suffusing the alleyway. He watched them flee desperately, the fight obviously gone from them, and turned his attention towards the young charges who had made such a stand against their attackers.

Happy that no immediate threat remained to himself or the teenagers, he allowed the forcefield to fall, the throbbing migrane in his head instantly loosing some of its intensity. It always felt as though he had applied somesort of cooling balm to the raw substance of his mind when the time came to put the powers on hold. He continued to stand where he was for a few moments more, allowing the pain to fade a little further and for him to regain a little more composure. It wouldn't do for his voice to be cracking with pain when he spoke to them.

One last deep breath and he took a half step forward and stopped again. On hand delved into a hidden pocket and resurfaced with a lighter and a packet of cigarettes, which was recieved with a willingness by the lips that flared crimson in the lighters flare. Another deep inhale, blown back out full of smoke to tumble around gently in the night air.

He began his gently advance into the alley, eyes taking in all the details of the scene in front of him. Some of the attackers, such as the unfortunate soul he had initially seen taking flight, were still unconcious and had been unceremoniously abandoned by their collegues, who had evidently determined that the fight was no longer going their way at all. Still, some of them remained, and he would have his answers as to why they would attack innocent teenagers.

He smiled at the group in what he hoped was a disarming manner, hands open to show he meant no harm. This group was evidently quite capable of defending itself, and while he doubted they would try anything, he had no desire to test his powers against so many empowered individuals at once. It was unlikely to end well for any of them, and he wanted this to turn out as well as possible.

"Call me paranoid, but you lot don't play gently do you?" The smile remained, unfaltering as he passed the unconcious form of Patrick Lipman. He half turned and looked down at the slumped man, and casually reached down and hauled him up with one hand. With him dangling in front of him, Havoc bobbed his head slightly, as if looking for signs of life, checked for a pulse and nodded to himself on finding one.

Slap. The backhand Harley rocked across the mans features sent his head lolling wildly around:"Wake up." Slap. "Come on, wakey wakey." Slap. Slap. Harley's features had become a mask of irritation, thinly disguised by the vail of good humour that currently resided on top. It didn't take an expert in body language to tell that Harley was set to do this man serious harm if answers weren't forthcoming.

Igneous clenched his muscles as he heard the sound of what could well be his end. He was unsure precisely what the device held by the rooftop thug was, but the way he held it, and the size of the barrel suggested it was something truly dangerous. He had never tested himself against something so presumably powerful, and he wasn't sure his granite body would survive the impact.

When he heard the explosion, but felt no impact, he slowly raised his head, making sure Jill and Evan were safe. Seeing Evan's duplicates, and Jill in her panther form, he felt slightly embarassed, but quickly supressed the feeling. Protecting his friends was a noble instinct, even if they no longer needed it. He looked to the rooftops, and saw Toxin standing on the edge, the thug raising his hands in surrender.

As he noticed the surrounding area, he relaxed - they were safe for now. He relaxed his senses, and allowed his body to flow back to its normal size, relishing the strange feeling the transformation always engendered. He looked around, making sure everyone was safe, and noticed Lipman still unconscious on the ground.

"What happened to the..." He began to speak, then saw the man striding towards them, and turned to whisper to Evan and the newly hairy Jill. "Who is that? Is he one of your friends?"

When Harley began slapping the man around, though Igneous looked at him. "I bear this man no good will, but there is no call to abuse him gratitiously. We need answers from him, but we are the heroes, and the victims here."

The Warrior stuck a hand underneath Harley's armpit and tugged a moment, indicating he should stand up, even as The Hunter moved over to the singer's other side. "Come on, guy. We've got this."

Meanwhile, Evan stood flabbergasted as the lead singer who'd rocked their minds so hard just a short time ago blew past him and started slapping Lipman awake. At Igneous' query, he shook his head, "No, man. He's the singer from the band we saw. We never met him before tonight." Stepping up, he extended a hand to Havoc in a gesture offering to help him to his feet. "Hey, guy. Are you crazy or something? Those guys had guns, and you're just a rock star, yeah?"

"The Police, General." The Warrior turned his back to Lipman and Havoc and looked down the alley, towards where the police would come when they realized where the gunshots and rocket had come from.

The Hunter leaned down and picked up a few of the discarded firearms - no reason to leave them about. "He's right, General. We should go. Lipman's probably a powerful guy in the city, this isn't stopping a burglary."

Evan sulked, a little disappointed that he couldn't hang out with the rock god a little longer. "They're right. Igneous, can you take Lipman? We need some answers out of him, that's for sure. Like how the hell he made my duplicates disappear. Name a place, we'll meet you there."

Then, an idea struck him. "Thanks for the concern, Havoc. Say, what're you doing tonight? We've got some stuff to do, but maybe after we could hang out... party it up, a little?"

Toxin panic in mid flight as the rocket was launched and he had thrown himself right into its trajectory. But some invisible force threw into the night sky and his clothesline connected. He resisted the urge to celebrate considering what happened the last time and instead squatted on the edge of the roof staring the man down. He looked ready to continue fighting when the commotion below of the other men fleeing caught his attention. Toxin was shocked when the man raised his arms in surrender. 'Uuuh. Yay?' Toxin shifted awkwardly in his stance 'Now what the hell am i supposed to do?'

It was then an mischievous grin spread across Eddie's face under the mask. "Aw man i've always wanted to try this." Eddie in case the man in the black webbing then with the tendril's still connecting the two he lept from the roof top dragging the thug with him. The odd pendulum weight put Toxin off his jump a little but he made it to the fire escape on the alleyway landing heavily and bending the had rail. He attached the end of the webbing to the rail then flipped from the metal work to land on the ground facing the criminal. The guy hung there a meter from the ground, upside down and arms flailing. Eddie continued to smile and let out a satisfied "Awesome" then turned to the scene behind him.

"I think he's out cold man. Did you see how hard Igneous slugged him?" Toxin rubber necked around taking a mental tally of people there, made difficult with the multiple identical Evans. "Where's Jill? is she o-" His eyes caught sight of the giant cat and the pieces fell to place. "Oooh. Cool."

Toxin crossed his arms and stood at his full height listening to the Evan talking to himself's then chimed in. "We've got two options really. Either leave all these guys here for the cops. Or we finish Jill's mission. And I'm inclined to figure this out." He gave an appreciative nod to Igneous then hooked a thumb at him. "Both me and Igneous should take Lipman for now. Seems like he cant affect us and if he has connections its not safe to leave him just to this big guy."

"Wait, wait, wait -- ARGH!!" The criminal's surprise and terror at being dragged off of the roof by Toxin was evident, made clear by his echoing scream that -- to the ears of the Symbiote -- sounded just a little too high pitched to be taken seriously. The Web-Slinger carried him with inhuman strength across the gap between the buildings, and let him dangle from the fire-escape, his fingertips brushing against the stone pebbles of the sidewalk beneath him. He cursed and pleaded to be let down, but his captor had already moved on, his attentions returning to his companions.

Their attentions, however, were directed at the unconscious man that dangled from Havoc's hands. Given Lipman's light frame, such a display of strength wasn't superhuman; it did, however, look cool, and the strikes to Lipman's face caused him to stir, but not wake entirely. Had he been returned to consciousness then and there, he would no doubt have been riddled by shock at the sight of the giant man before him.

But he didn't wake, not before the Duplicates moved to intercept the metalhead's handy-work. As though on cue, the groan of distant sirens pierced the night no sooner than when the Warrior had warned against them. As the other talked, Pantherine peered out from the shadows of the alleyway, and listened to the sound: her hearing -- whilst far from as potent as her sense of smell -- was keen, and she estimated that they only had a few minutes before the squad cars rocketted into view. About to turn away, she caught sight of a flickering curtain two floors up on the building opposite. She looked again: a woman in her mid-forties was staring down at her and the rest, a hand pressed to her ear, her lips moving.

Pantherine growled softly to herself: she had found the one who had called the police.

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Editor's Notes:Just a quick something to account for Lipman's movements (or lack of). If you all intend on moving off somewhere to meet in more private surroundings, feel free to detail your leaving -- and arriving at -- the said location. This gives you all a little artistic license to describe the area of the city you're moving to, and gives me some time to get some work out of the way before I begin planning for the appearance of Sonic (Exalted's PC), and the next part of the Issue.

I'll jump in when needed, or when I want to add my own details. Until then, feel free to give me justification for more generous Line allocation.

Lipman's scent still clung to Pantherine's nostrils, and she worried that she might never be rid of it. When Igneous turned and asked about the newly-arrived rock star, the black cat merely stared at him with drooped ears and a tilted head, along with her eyes conveying an expression that would easily translate to a declining shrug.

Shrouded in the dark of night, she sat quietly off to the side and watched her companions gather around the unconscious villain. Much like Igneous, the demeanor and fearlessness of the approaching rock singer had her baffled -- what was he doing here, and why had he not turned and run away yet? And who was he to move in and question their prey, Lipman, in such a brazen manner?

In the midst of it all, she quickly noticed the black-suited web-slinger's descent from the rooftop with another villain tucked under his arm, obviously terrified at the daredevil ride Toxin was giving him. Pantherine bared her fangs in another awkward attempt to mimic a bemused smile at the sight of the symbiote deftly stringing the poor man upside down from the catwalk. But her feline lips, incapable of smiling like those of a human, only made for a strange spectacle much like that of watching a cat struggling to free its mouth of peanut butter.

When Evan took upon himself the diplomatic approach to calm Harley's somewhat hard-handed attempts at waking Lipman, Pantherine calmly strode out from the dark towards the unconscious man. She shared no sympathy for Patrick, but Evan was right nonetheless -- they needed him alive and well-enough to be able to explain himself. When Toxin expressed his enthusiastic surprise at seeing Jill as Pantherine for the first time, her slender tail weaved lazily from side to side as she purred softly in approval.

But then, out of the corner of her eye, something up on the building side caught her attention; a woman was staring worriedly down at the group while chattering on the phone. Pantherine patted her paw hard on the wet ground, sending little drops of water splashing to all sides, as she motioned her head upwards towards the woman's window. As if on queue, the faint sound of police sirens echoed in the distance in almost eerie premonition with one of Evan's clone's warnings.

Toxin's suggestion seemed a sound one, for none of them yet knew what had caused the numbness in both Jill and Evan at the start of the encounter. She was, however, not so sure about Evan's generous offer to have the rock star tag along. Due to her short lapse in time during the shift to panther, for all she knew Toxin had been the one who had taken care of the rocket-wielding villain on the rooftop. Whatever the offer would lead to, it was not something she could nor would worry about now. Dodging the police and getting Lipman off to somewhere quieter was what mattered there and then.

Sharing one last and urgent glance with her friends, the black panther bent low and leapt against one of the building walls, using it as a vertical jump pad from which to continue her quick ascent upwards in another leap to the nearest catwalk. From there she repeated the process of zig-zag springing until she landed softly on the ledge of the rooftop. She peered over the edge to make certain that her companions below were on the move as well.